SILLIMAN, BENJAMIN. 



tion recommended the establishment of a fourth 

 department, and in 1847 the Yale Scientific 

 School opened its laboratories for the reception 

 of students. The cost of fitting up and furnish- 

 ing the laboratories, apparatus, libraries, and 

 cabinets necessary for conducting the work 

 came from the private resources of Profs. Silli- 

 raan and Norton, and they were also compelled 

 to pay rental to the college for the building. 

 This is now the well -known 

 Scientific School of New Haven 

 which since 1860 has borne the 

 prefix of Sheffield, in recogni- 

 tion of the endowment of Mr. 

 Joseph E. Sheffield. For five 

 years (1849-'54) Prof. Silli- 

 man filled the chair of Medical 

 Chemistry and Toxicology in 

 the medical department of 

 Louisville (Ky.) University. In 

 1854 he resigned this post, and 

 was elected to succeed his fa- 

 ther as Professor of General 

 and Applied Chemistry in both 

 the academical and medical de- 

 partments of Yale College. He 

 resigned the former in 1870, 

 but continued his lectures at 

 the Medical College. Prof. Sil- 

 liman's literary activity was 

 very great, and extended over 

 nearly half a century. In 1838 

 he became associate editor of 

 the " American Journal of Sci- 

 ence and Arts," better known 

 as "Silliman's Journal." In 

 1846 the active management of 

 this periodical passed into the 

 hands of the elder Dana, but 

 Prof. Silliman continued as one 

 of its editors until his death. 

 His scientific papers, begin- 

 ning in 1841 with an article on 

 " Electrography, or the Elec- ' 

 trotype," include fully a hun- 

 dred titles, a complete list of 

 which, up to 1874, is given in 

 his "American Contributions 

 to ^ Chemistry." His " First 

 Principles of Chemistry " appeared originally 

 in 1847 ; subsequently it was revised (1850, and 

 again in 1853), and had a sale in all of over 50,- 

 000 copies. In 185^8 he published " First Prin- 

 ciples of Natural Philosophy," which likewise 

 passed through several editions. At the World's 

 Fair, held in New York during 1853, the chem- 

 ical, mineralogical, and geological departments 

 were under his supervision. In connection with 

 Charles G. Goodrich ("Peter Parley") he edited 

 the " World of Science, Art, and Industry," and 

 in 1854 " The Progress of Science and Mech- 

 anism," in which the chief results of the great 

 exhibition were recorded. During the winter 

 of 1845-'46, on the invitation of the leading 

 professional and commercial men of New Or- 

 leans, he delivered what is believed to have 



SLAUGHTERING BY MACHINERY. 733 



been the first series of lectures on agricultural 

 chemistry ver given in theis country. In 1809 

 Prof. Sillimau became one of the State Chem- 

 ists of Connecticut, and in that capacity he was 

 frequently employed as a scientific witness in 

 the courts. He was often retained in promi- 

 nent cases throughout the country, where a 

 knowledge of scientific principles was involved. 

 He served as a member, at the request of the 



BENJAMIN SILLIMAN. 



Government, on several important commissions 

 where scientific advice was necessary. In 1863 

 the act of Congress incorporating the National 

 Academy of Sciences named him as one of the 

 original members, and his name will be found 

 on many of the valuable reports of this acad- 

 emy. He was a member of numerous scien- 

 tific societies in this country and abroad. From 

 1845-'49 he was a member of the Common 

 Council of New Haven, and he was also one of 

 the trustees of the Peabody Museum of Natu- 

 ral History there. 



SLAUGHTERIXG BY MACHINERY. The first 

 application of machinery to the slaughtering 

 of food-animals consisted in the use of an ap- 

 paratus for hoisting hogs by steam-power 

 working loop-chains attached to the hind legs 



